To everyone who joined these forums at some point, and got discouraged by the negativity and left after a while (or even got literally scared off): I'm sorry.

I wasn't good enough at encouraging people to be kinder, and removing people who refuse to be kind. Encouraging people is hard, and removing people creates conflict, and I hate conflict... so that's why I wasn't better at it.

I was a very, very sensitive teen. The atmosphere of this forum as it is now, if it had existed in 1996, would probably have upset me far more than it would have helped.

I can handle quite a lot of negativity and even abuse now, but that isn't the point. I want to help people. I want to help the people who need it the most, and I want to help people like the 1996 version of me.

I'm still figuring out the best way to do that, but as it is now, these forums are doing more harm than good, and I can't keep running them.

Thank you to the few people who have tried to understand my point of view so far. I really, really appreciate you guys. You are beautiful people.

Everyone else: If after everything I've said so far, you still don't understand my motivations, I think it's unlikely that you will. We're just too different. Maybe someday in the future it might make sense, but until then, there's no point in arguing about it. I don't have the time or the energy for arguing anymore. I will focus my time and energy on people who support me, and those who need help.

-SoulRiser

The forums are mostly read-only and are in a maintenance/testing phase, before being permanently archived. Please use this time to get the contact details of people you'd like to keep in touch with. My contact details are here.

Please do not make a mirror copy of the forums in their current state - things will still change, and some people have requested to be able to edit or delete some of their personal info.

Hello there. I have a grand idea of a parallel Internet completely self contained from the original. If implemented around the world, It would fix many problems that the existing Internet.

Current problems with the Internet
1. Security Issues
2. Sometimes rather expensive
3. Vulnerable to censorship

How will the paranet fix these problems?
1. Security is ensured through mandatory high level encryption during the transmission of data. Also, a user can be blocked by the security center if they are suspected of spying, releasing malware and other malicious actions.
2. Cost is kept to the minimal because there are no ISP in this network. People can join the network's hotspots without a fee but if they want to improve the signal coverage for both them and others, they may voluntary purchase a router and configure it to bridge the hotspot's signal.
3. The network's terms of service requires the free flow of information. Therefore, any user attempting to install censorship software will be banned from the network forever.

How are we implementing this?
Phase 1: Introduction: Basic introduction on Internet, website set up to document the specification of the Network. The first networks will be local access networks based on wireless routers. They are likely to be started by hobbyists. Each town/city will have its own networks and security centers. Basic websites providing services will be set up.

Phase 2: Expansion: Once there are enough networks and users, larger web services will become more dominant. Some networks would likely to see connection through a cable connection during this phase.

Phase 3: Completion: As more and more networks become interconnected, the paranet will become one entity. At this point, security is managed by major security centers based on the geological location. Free hotspots would be extremely prevalent around the world and people would begin to switch from the original Internet to the paranet.
The paranet would use wireless routers as its basis. However, cable communication can be set up if there are enough funds by users of the same network. Other protocols will be pretty much the same. Because the network is found on a "free participation" basis, ISP will not be necessary.

I don't know much about tech, but I do know that this sounds much better than what we have now. The freedom of the internet, and the freedom of information that would come with it, is what we need for a better world. And also, comcast sucks so badly that I don't even want to capitalize it.

(08-05-2016 07:43 PM)Jop Wrote: yet Anybody can participate. I might look into setting it up someday.

I'll say that hyperboria is too complicated for beginners and I think just a basic WAN/LAN setup with routers is enough for a beginner network. Anyways, if you have neighbors that are your friends, you can convince them to join. Also, a cable would not always be necessary when connecting 2 distant networks, a pair of directional antennas can also transmit the signals well.

(08-06-2016 06:18 AM)HSHARK Wrote: I'll say that hyperboria is too complicated for beginners and I think just a basic WAN/LAN setup with routers is enough for a beginner network.

Better do it right on the first time. You don't want to have convinced your entire neighborhood to join and then say "hey now we're going over to a different system!".
Hyperboria could in theory span the globe, a simple router chain would be choked to uselessness. But it's the same basic idea.

It is possible during the early stages to connect multiple parallel networks with the Internet itself. It will eventually be obsolete. The router chain problem can be solved by building large transmitters and having more powerful servers.